Customer Reviews

Golden Rendezvous (Portway Large Print Books)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Alistair MacLean - one of the premier adventure storywriters - is at his best when writing first-person narratives that put his protagonists in perilous situations, and then push them to the limits of physical, emotional, and psychological endurance. His early novels are exciting, full of cliff-hanging situations, and rife with clever "detection" in the classical sense: MacLean plays by the classical detective rules, placing all of the clues in front of the reader, and - at his most cunning - daring the reader to figure out who the criminal mastermind is.

But the detection - and the undertones of "espionage" - are superficial elements used to keep the narrative moving briskly along between action set pieces that pit the protagonist against impossible odds and, very often, against the severest imaginable environmental extremes. By these standards, "The Golden Rendezvous" is one of his better books.

It is an excellent blend of mystery, suspense, clever bluffs and double bluffs, self-deprecating wit, action, and our protagonist's determined efforts to overcome painful injuries and antagonistic environmental extremes.

A luxury cruise ship is hijacked at sea by a master criminal whose intention is not a simple ransoming of the wealthy hostages on board. Exactly what his goal is forms part of the mystery that is left for our hero - the injured First Officer of the ship, John Carter - to ferret out. And to undermine.

"The Golden Rendezvous" finds MacLean at near-top form. The book does not have quite the verve of "The Satan Bug", "The Dark Crusader", or "When Eight Bells Toll", but it comes close. Which - at the high level that MacLean delivers excitement and page-turning suspense - makes for outstanding adventure story reading.

"My shirt was no longer a shirt but just a limp and sticky rag soaked with sweat." MacLean is one of the few authors who actually cares about his first sentences. And he cares about his plotlines as much as his first sentences as well. Both are gripping and force you to read, and keep reading... just to see what happens next.

What I like about MacLean's formula is that every book is suspenseful and nearly full of twists. I say 'nearly' because sometimes MacLean will churn out a weaker tale for some reason. But there is no doubt in my mind that The Golden Rendezvous is one of his best works.

The older 1960s/70s books (see "customer images" for the paperback version) don't always clarify what the story is about. Chief Officer John Carter is the typical pseudo-tragic hero who has his faults but also his strengths. He works under Capt. Bullen, on the interesting freight ship Campari, altered by millions of dollars to provide ultra-rich passengers superb living and dining experiences, all the while travelling to unknown destinations. The ship is only running its regular course of delivering freight around the world, so the passengers aren't booking a holiday fare, but rather a surprising adventure. And on this particular voyage, the adventure threatens to bury everyone deep in Davy Jones's Locker.

MacLean's description of Carter being dragged alongside the ship, unable to do anything but inhale salt water, violently resigning himself to his impending doom of a drowning death, had me on the edge of my seat, stomach churning at the idea.

That's literally about all you can say without giving too much plot away. This book had me reading late into the night, far more so than many of his other books. I rank it up there with Ice Station Zebra, and Where Eagles Dare.

Alistair MacLean was one of the best adventure writers of all time. He does it all on the strength of plot; style and characterization are nearly non-existent, but they aren't the reason you read MacLean books. I dare say that virtually every major adventure plot is covered in one of his novels, and his influence is such that subsequent authors have paid homage to scenes of his. (For example, there's a scene in Clive Cussler's "The Mediterranean Caper" that's a virtual reprise of a scene from "The Secret Ways.")

"The Golden Rendezvous" is a classic ocean hijacking story, where the hero is the ship's First Officer (John Carter). The ship is a converted ocean liner, full of guests, some mysterious, and carrying some secret cargo. During the cruise, the ship gets hijacked by some violent but devious criminals. Some of the ship's officers are killed, and others, including Carter, are wounded. Still, Carter attempts to stop the hijackers. . . .

This is one of the best MacLean novels, written in the 1960s along with a stellar run that includes "The Satan Bug," "Where Eagles Dare," "Puppet on a Chain," and "The Guns of Navarone." Most of those were turned into movies, and in the 1970s, Hollywood adapted "The Golden Rendezvous" into a so-so Richard Harris movie titled "Nuclear Terror."

Alistair Maclean was a literary force of nature who influenced whole generations of thriller writers with his gripping stories, exotic settings and timely plots. Maclean covered most of the major military/adventure thriller plots decades before Cussler and Clancy, in a more elegant and believable way. Maclean didn't waste words on gratuitous sex, techno-babble or political ramblings--his stories are all plot, action and suspense.

"The Golden Rendezvous" combines a high seas murder mystery, piracy and nuclear terrorism in a gripping narrative that really goes into overdrive around the middle of the book. In typical Maclean fashion, the protagonist has to overcome impossible odds, physical hardships, the forces of nature, and the treachery of people around him to prevail. There are several trademark plot twists that keep the story from becoming predictable, and the shipboard setting is very vividly described by the former navy man. While the novel may seem somewhat dated to modern readers, the plotting and narrative intensity are as good as anything our current thriller writers could hope for. 4.5 stars!

Famed story-teller Alistair Maclean wrote "The Golden Rendezvous" as far back as 1962, but this suspenseful high seas adventure story holds up remarkably well. The plot concerns the S.S. Campari, a cargo ship converted into a highly selective passenger liner to carry millionaires around the Caribbean. A series of murders onboard bring out the detective in the Campari's First Officer, Johnny Carter, who soon uncovers a complicated plot involving a stolen nuclear device, a bankrupt Caribbean dictator, and a shipment of gold. As a criminal gang takes over the ship, Carter must somehow uncover the last details of the plot in order to save the crew and passengers. In typical Maclean fashion, the ending includes a series of plot twists and heoric deeds by First Officer Carter.

Maclean's experience as a sailor informs his descriptions of life at sea aboard the Campari. Similarly, his sketches of the principal members of the crew ring true. His villians look to this Cold War veteran like nasty Cuban agents of Fidel Castro, but this may be transparent to younger readers. Johnny Carter's heroic feats in rescuing the ship approach the improbable, but the wise reader will let it ride in order to enjoy the story. Maclean's dialogue is typically crisp and sardonic; Carter's relationship with the young, beautiful, and surprising daughter of a multi-millionaire adds some nice depth to the story.

This novel is highly recommended to fans of Alistair Maclean, and to readers looking for an entertaining story.

Alistair Macean is my favourite thriller writer.Golden Rendouvous is a bonafide classic.Just reading this book reveals what a great plotter Maclean was and he always knew how to combine action suspense and he didn't need to write 500, or 10000 pages, unlike the new writers of today.He had a sense of humour as well and i always thought his characters were colourful.Also,though Maclean did his research thorougly, his books were never bogged down in details, unlike many authors today.Golden Rendevous is a must read!go and read it and make your day!

This book is one of Macleans best. Full of plot twists and action this is a great read.